Who Wanted to Build the Great Wall of China?

The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen structures joined together to separate China from Mongolia. Construction of different segments began in the fifth century B.C. by leaders in local regions for protection. Its expansion into one continuous wall that stretched across the border of China was the brainchild of Emperor Qin Shihuang.

Time Frame

Construction on the wall lasted through the 16th century B.C., and maintenance continues to this day.

Features

The Great Wall is 6,400 km (4,000 miles) long and is the longest human-made structure in the world.

Workers

The people, soldiers and prisoners of China built the wall, not the rulers, and it is estimated up to 3 million Chinese died during the erection of the Great Wall.

Materials

It was difficult to transport outside materials, so builders used local resources such as stone in the mountains and compacted dirt in the areas lacking stone or other materials.

Geography

The most visited sections of the Great Wall are at Badaling, Simatai, Jinshangling and Mutianyu, all of which were built during the Ming Dynasty.

Fun Fact

The Great Wall is one of the few human-made structures that are visible from space.